The romantic flicks today have reduced to mere unsavory mishmash of rose-tinted romance, mushy sentiments and relationship trivialities. So many times has the same theme of love been bandied about that there is little left to such films than designer outfits, a brawn storming session by the bicep-flexing hero and lovers prancing around in foreign locales.
K Murali Manohar-directed Kahin Pyar Na Ho Jaye is another inconsequential offering from the Bollywood's brimming cauldron of kitsch. It has Salman Khan, the good-looking hunk who regales people at marriages and goes sauntering to the bar every time some hot babe jilts him. It has Rani Mukherjee in a rather offbeat role of a videographer who is never much sure whom she loves or loves not.
Quite sadly Jackie Shroff has been relegated to play second fiddle to our muscle-flexing hero. He is Sallu's favorite sidekick when it comes to hit the bottle. Then there are two lanky dames Pooja Batra and Kashmira Shah who provide for a considerable punch of glam and glitz. And ravishing Raveena appears in a small 'blink-and-you-will-miss-her' role.
Prem (Salman) is an aspiring singer who does gigs at weddings with his song n' dance troupe and dreams of making it big on the music scene some day. He is also a loser in love, jilted by his first love Nisha ( Raveena Tandon) who swapped him for some rich big shot. When money talks a lover always bites the bullet.
Wearing his heart on his sleeve and carrying the grief of unrequited love Prem does what any typical jilted lover would do-- hit the bottle. To console and admonish him is his favorite sidekick Tiger (Jackie Shroff) who is also his drinking partner. At home Prem has got a rather-mod sister (Kashmira Shah, whom he lovingly calls 'Deeds'), her hubby (Mohnish Behl), and their two kids.
Things take a swift turn when Prem discovers two hot babes living next door. One of them Priya (Rani Mukherjee) is a videographer and has lofty dreams of marrying a rich NRI while the other, Mona (Pooja Batra) is a sort of a dumb belle who aspires to be an actress some day. Soon seeds of love are sown on the barren tracts of our hero's mind as Priya joins his troupe.
So while Prem tags on with Priya, Tiger woos and wins Mona. Soon the lovebirds take to cavorting on the exotic locales. But wait there is a twist in the tale! Priya is engaged to her NRI hubby-to-be. Time and again her mind keeps on oscillating between the desi hunk and videsi lad. Ultimately it is Prem who gets the girl and the lovebirds are joined and live happily thereafter.
The film's director K Murali Mohan Rao is among the ace directors down south and has already tasted success with Bandhan a rural love story he made with the same team of Salman, Jackie and producer Shyam Bajaj. Kahin Pyar Na Ho Jaye is shoddily directed and ends up as a mere candyfloss romance.
The dialogue and screenplay of the film are written by Sanjay Chel. Even Himmesh Reshammiya's music score fails to make any impression. Only Kamaal Khan (who had earlier given Salman a hit with 'O O Jane Jana') makes an impact with the song 'Savariya.
Another lowbrow performance by Salman Khan shows that the man is still bogged in the thick of his ham routine. Quite often he simpers and then gives into his usual buffoonery and muscle flaunting. Thankfully he doesn't doff his shirt off at every drop of the hat, but that hasn't done him much good either.
Rani on the other hand is at ease in front of the camera always wearing a plastic smile on her bland visage. While Jackie is simply wasted as Sallu's sidekick, Pooja Batra and Raveena do manage to exude some oomph.
Movie Review : Yet another meatless flick (4/10) The romantic flicks today have reduced to mere unsavory mishmash of rose-tinted romance, mushy sentiments and relationship trivial...
Salman, Jackie gearing up for some reel comedy
